Cloned Meat

Issue: Fda Says Cloned Animals Safe To Eat.

The Food and Drug Administration must think people will take their word on anything. Or maybe the FDA thinks people will put absolutely anything in their mouths to eat.

Most likely, the FDA isn't thinking at all.

That can be the only explanation for the latest missive from the FDA, in which they declared meat and milk from cloned animals are as safe as the natural version - and those products will be able to be sold without any special labeling.

Safe or not isn't the issue at the moment. It's consumer information.

Consumers these days want to know absolutely everything that is in their food - transfat, sodium, sugar, carbs, calorie content, anything.

And the FDA thinks we can eat products from cloned animals without labeling it as such? That's outrageous.

"Meat and milk from clones of cattle, swine and goats and their offpsring are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals," said Randall Lutter, FDA deputy commissioner for policy.

And maybe he's right. But the food still needs to be labeled that it is from clones and their offspring. Consumers have an absolute right to know that.

Sure, some people might not mind eating food from clones. But some will, for personal or religious reasons. And the "ick" factor will still be there for other people. Whatever the reason, the public has a right to know, with a clearly-worded label, what kind of food they are consuming.

Some legislators are upset by all of this. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md, wants a farm bill amendment that would require the FDA to conduct further studies before ruling clones are safe.

Even if that report verifies the FDA's conclusion on safety, it doesn't rule out the need for labeling. Legislators should be pushing for proper labeling before this stuff hits the shelves.